Watching tonight's game and last night's game (albeit fell asleep last night), it is notable how similar Geelong and Hawthorn play the game. In particular, they both play in zones. From above, the ground looks like a game of Chinese chequeres or a Damien Hirst spot painting. A green field dotted with evenly spaced brown/gold or blue/white pegs.
This rolling zone strategy places so much pressure on the disposal skills of the other team because if they @@@@ up with the precision passing needed to penetrate the zone, all of a sudden the other team just takes off en masse into the open space behind the line of opposition players towards the goal. It's almost frightening to watch.
Obviously this is not a new thing and footy is constantly being evolved and reinvented by wiley coaches, but really, this puts our man on man and flooding' style out of business.
I think Roos needs to get with the times and adopt the rolling zone or come up with a new effective counter tactic. The dogs tried to move the ball quickly at all costs with laserlike passes, but sadly, their skills fell apart under the pressure. Maybe something like a forward line version of the huddle to break apart the zoning.
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